Ember Fire Swirl Temari Ball

This Japanese temari is embroidered in fiery shades of burgundy, red, and orange and makes for a striking addition to any temari collection. The base of the design is black thread, though just a bit peeks through to lend depth to the stitching and the mercerized cotton catches the light and shines softly. Each temari is perfectly unique, and the one pictured is the one you will be receiving. Any questions or custom requests, let me know!

Temari is an ancient art, originally Chinese, but introduced to Japan five or six hundred years ago and it has remained a cultural mainstay. Temari were originally a toy for a child to play with, crafted by their mother out of cast-off scraps of silk and old kimonos. The scraps of cloth were wrapped in hundreds of yards of thread and then stitched sturdily together, often so firmly that they would bounce! Over time, the stitching became more decorative and beautiful. The introduction of rubber severely hurt the commonplace temari, but elevated it to an art form. Practiced by aristocracy and nobles, temari balls became a very special gift.

In Japanese tradition, a mother would craft a beautiful temari for her daughter on New Year's, a principal holiday in Japan. The designs are varied and beautiful, and often employ brilliant, jewel-like colors and metallic threads, as a wish for the recipient's life to be just as brilliant. Modern temari may be crafted with Styrofoam bases, however these are made in the traditional manner, with scraps of cloth formed into a ball and wrapped in layers upon layers of yarn and thread. A three-inch temari may have enough sewing thread to go all the way across a football field - four times!

This temari is approximately three and a quarter inches in diameter (about ten in circumference) and comes with a small thread loop for a hanger. This thread can be snipped if you would like to display the temari more traditionally; on a small pillow, in a jar with other temari or ornaments, or on a stand are all beautiful ways to showcase these treasures.